1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile image information managing system and method. Particularly, the present invention relates to a facsimile image information managing system wherein a client computer can select desired facsimile image information from those received by a server computer, display it, and print it.
2. Description of the Related Art
Facsimile apparatuses, which receive facsimile image information through telephone lines and print it on paper, have come into widespread use.
Also, there has been proposed a computer typed facsimile apparatus, which receives facsimile image information through the telephone line by a modem, stores it in a memory of the computer and a hard disk displays facsimile image information on a monitor display, and prints it by a printer.
On the other hand, the technique of computer communication net works such as LAN (Local Area Network) where mutual communications ban e performed between computers and between the computer and the printer, WAN (Wide Area Network), Internet, etc has increasingly become widespread.
The conventional facsimile apparatus prints received facsimile image information on paper immediately. This prevents facsimile image information from being reused electronically. Also, since even unnecessary facsimile image information is printed on paper without fail, it is difficult to save paper sources.
In the conventional computer type facsimile apparatus, the user browses received facsimile image information and selects it, so that only necessary facsimile image information can be printed. However, even when the computer is connected to the computer communication network, such computer typed facsimile apparatus can not be operated from the other computers.
Particularly, there has been greatly increased the desire to easily perform the management of the computer, which has received facsimile image information and stored it. Namely, received and stored facsimile information is displayed by browsers such as Netscape Navigator (tradenark of Netscape Communications Corporation), Internet Explore (trademark of Microsoft Corporation), selected, and printed by use of WWW (World Wide Wave), which is one of Internet technique, and information of an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) format.
The present invention has been made to solve the aforementioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique which allows a user to select desired one of received facsimile image information, display it, and print it.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile image information managing system comprising:
(a) a server which receives facsimile image information, for storing the received facsimile image information, generates index information, which refers to a storage location of the stored facsimile image information, for transmitting the generated index information, accepts a request for specifying the storage location of facsimile image information, and transmits the facsimile image information stored at the storage location specified in accordance with the accepted request;
(b) a relay which relays the index information transmitted by the server, the request for specifying the storage location of the facsimile image accepted by the server, and the facsimile image information; and
(c) a client which receives the index information, which has been transmitted by the server and relayed by the relay, displays the received index information, accepts an input for selecting the storage location of the facsimile image information from the displayed index information, causes the relay to relay the request for specifying the storage location of the facsimile image information selected by the accepted input so as to be transmitted to the server, for receiving the facsimile image information, which has been transmitted by the server and relayed by the relay, and displays the received facsimile image information.
The client may further comprise a printer in which when the client accepts an input for selecting facsimile image information to be printed from the displayed facsimile image information, and transmits the facsimile image information selected by the accepted input, the printer receives the facsimile image information transmitted by the client and prints the received facsimile image information.
Also, in the facsimile image information managing system, the facsimile image information transmitted by the client may be relayed by the relay and received by the printer.
The index information may include information of sender that has sent the facsimile image information. In this case, the client may display the information of sender and accepts the input for selecting the storage location of facsimile image information.
The server may generate index image information, which shows the index of stored facsimile image information, and cause the relay to relay the index image information, and transmit it. In this case, the client receives the index image information relayed by the relay, displays it, and accepts the input for selecting the storage location of the facsimile image information.
Furthermore, the facsimile image information managing system may further comprise a scanner which scans facsimile image information wherein the server accepts an input for selecting a transmission destination to which facsimile image information scanned by the scanner is transmitted, the server transmits the scanned facsimile image information to the transmission destination selected by the accepted input.
Also, in the case the facsimile image information managing system comprises the scanner, the client may accept an input for selecting a transmission destination to which facsimile image information scanned by the scanner is transmitted, and transmit the facsimile image information to the server after the transmission destination is relayed by the relay, the server receives the transmission destination relayed by the relay and transmits the facsimile image information scanned by the scanner to the transmission destination.
The index information is in, for example, an HTML format and the facsimile image information is in, for example, a JPEG format, a TIFF format and a GIF format.
A facsimile image information managing server apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention comprises:
(a) an image information receiver which receives facsimile image information;
(b) a nonvolatile storage which stores the facsimile image information received by said image information receiver;
(c) an index information generator which generates index information which refers to a storage location of said facsimile image information stored by said nonvolatile storage;
(d) a request receiver which receives a request from a client apparatus connected through a computer communication network;
(e) a response transmitter which transmits a response to the client apparatus connected through the computer communication network;
(f) an index information transmission controller which controls said response transmitter to transmit a response, which includes index information generated by said index information generator, to said client apparatus when said request receiver receives a request for obtaining index information from the client apparatus connected through the computer communication network; and
(g) a facsimile image information transmission controller which controls said response transmitter to transmit a response, which includes facsimile image information stored at a location specified by said nonvolatile storage, to said client apparatus when said request receiver receives a request for obtaining said facsimile information from the client, apparatus connected through the computer communication network after specifying the location where said facsimile image information is stored.
The facsimile image information managing server apparatus may further comprises:
(h) an index information sorter which sorts index information which refers to the storage location of the facsimile image information, and generates index information when said request receiver receives a request for sorting index information from the client apparatus connected through the computer communication network; and
(i) a sorted index information transmission controller which controls said response transmitter to transmit index information sorted and generated by said index information sorter.
Said nonvolatile storage may store, for example, a sender""s telephone number of the facsimile image information received by said image information receiver, lime when said facsimile image information is received by said image information receiver, and sender information corresponding to said telephone number, and said index information sorter uses any one of sender""s telephone number of facsimile image information stored in said nonvolatile storage, time when facsimile image information is received, sender information of facsimile image information or the combination thereof as a key, and sorts index information to be generated.
An information recording medium storing a program of the third aspect of the present invention controls a server to perform:
(a) an image information receiving step of receiving facsimile image information;
(b) a nonvolatile storing step of storing the facsimile image information, which has been received by said image information receiving step, in a nonvolatile manner;
(c) an index information generating step of generating index information, which refers to a storage location of the facsimile image information stored by said nonvolatile storing step, when a request for obtaining index information from a client apparatus connected through a computer communication network is received;
(d) an index information transmitting step of transmitting a response, which includes index information generated by said index information generating step, to said client apparatus; and
(e) a facsimile image information transmitting step of transmitting a response, which includes facsimile image information stored at a location specified by said nonvolatile storing step, to said client apparatus when a request for obtaining said facsimile information from the client apparatus connected through the computer communication network is received by said request receiving step after specifying the location where said facsimile image information is stored.
The program may be embodied in a carrierwave and may be transmitted.
A method for managing facsimile image information according to the fourth aspect o(f the present invention, comprises:
(a) an image information receiving step of receiving facsimile image information;
(b) a nonvolatile storing step of storing the facsimile image information, which has been received by said image information receiving step in a nonvolatile manner;
(c) an index information generating step of generating index information, which refers to a storage location of the facsimile image information stored by said nonvolatile storing step, when a request for obtaining index information from a client apparatus connected through a computer communication network is received;
(d) an index information transmitting step of transmitting a response, which includes index information generated by said index information generating step, to said client apparatus; and
(e) a facsimile image information transmitting step of transmitting a response, which includes facsimile image information stored at a location specified by said nonvolatile storing step, to said client apparatus when a request for obtaining said facsimile information from the client apparatus connected through the computer communication network is received by said request receiving step after specifying the location where said facsimile image information is stored.
A client for processing facsimile image according to the fifth aspect of the present invention comprises:
(a) n index information receiver for receiving index information, which includes information of a location where a server apparatus stores facsimile image information, from said server apparatus connected through a computer communication network;
(b) an index information display for displaying index information received by said index information receiver;
(c) a location information selection input acceptor for accepting an input for selecting information of the location where facsimile image information is stored from the index information displayed by said index information receiver;
(d) facsimile image information obtaining means for obtaining facsimile image information from said server apparatus based on the information of the location where facsimile image information, which has been accepted by said location information selection input acceptor, is stored; and
(e) a facsimile information display for displaying facsimile image information obtained by said facsimile image information obtaining means.
The client may further comprises:
(f) a sort instruction input acceptor which accepts an instruction input to the effect that index information displayed by said index information display should be sorted; and
(g) a sorted index information display which sorts index information displayed by said index information display and displays said sorted index information when said sort instruction input acceptor accepts the instruction input to the effect that index information should be sorted.
An information recording medium of the sixth aspect of the present invention stores a program for controlling a client to perform:
(a) an index information receiving step of receiving index information, which includes information of a location where a server apparatus stores facsimile image information, from said server apparatus connected through a computer communication network;
(b) an index information displaying step of displaying index information received by said index information receiving step;
(c) a location information selection input accepting step of accepting an input for selecting information of the location where facsimile image information is stored from the index information displayed by said index information receiving step;
(d) a facsimile image information obtaining step of obtaining facsimile image information from said server apparatus based on information of the location where facsimile image information accepted by said location information selection input accepting step is stored; and
(e) a facsimile information display step of displaying facsimile image information obtained by said facsimile image information obtaining step.
An information recording medium of the seventh aspect of the present invention stores a program for controlling a client to perform:
(a) an index information receiving step of receiving index information, which includes a location where facsimile image information, from a server apparatus connected through a computer communication network;
(b) an index information displaying step of displaying index information received by said index information receiving step;
(c) a location information selection input accepting step of accepting an input for selecting information of the location where facsimile image information is stored from the index information displayed by said index information receiving step;
(d) a facsimile image information obtaining step of obtaining facsimile image information from said server apparatus based on information of the location where facsimile image information accepted by said location information selection input accepting step is stored; and
(e) a facsimile information display step of displaying facsimile image information obtained by said facsimile image information obtaining step.
The program may be embodied in a carrierwave and may be transmitted.
A facsimile image information display method of the eighth aspect of the present invention comprises:
(a) an index information receiving step of receiving index information, which includes information of a location where a server apparatus stores facsimile image information, from said server apparatus connected through a computer communication network;
(b) an index information displaying step of displaying index information received by said index information receiving step;
(c) a location information selection input accepting step of accepting an input for selecting information of the location where facsimile image information is stored from the index information displayed by said index information receiving step;
(d) a facsimile image information obtaining step of obtaining facsimile image information from said server apparatus based on information of the location where facsimile image information accepted by said location information selection input accepting step is stored; and
(e) a facsimile information display step of displaying facsimile image information obtained by said facsimile image information obtaining step.
A facsimile image information display method of the nineth aspect of the present invention comprises:
(a) an index information receiving step of receiving index information, which includes a location where facsimile image information, from a server apparatus connected through a computer communication network;
(b) an index information display step of displaying index information received by said index information receiving step;
(c) a location information selection input accepting step of accepting an input for selecting information of the location where facsimile image information is stored from the index information displayed by said index information receiving step;
(d) a facsimile image information obtaining step of obtaining facsimile image information from said server apparatus based on information of the location where facsimile image information accepted by said location information selection input accepting step is stored; and
(c) a facsimile information display step of displaying facsimile image information obtained by said facsimile image information obtaining step.